Maxon delivers Cinema 4D R11 to raise bar for 3D animation

Mumbai: MAXON Computer unveiled CINEMA 4D Release 11 (R11), the next generation of its highly acclaimed 3D animation software suite. The release is packed with advanced capabilities that deliver improved ease of use and workflow, image quality and integration into any production pipeline.

CINEMA 4D R11 highlights include a non-linear animation system, new global illumination render engine and dramatically improved render speed. Customers also benefit from the Projection Man matte painting system, developed by MAXON for Sony Pictures Imageworks, support for the COLLADA file format and CineMan — a RenderMan-compliant tool that connects to Pixar’s industry-leading rendering solution. Additionally, multiple improvements were made to MAXON’s popular texture painting toolset BodyPaint 3D Release 4. All of these capabilities and more serve to underscore MAXON’s ongoing and deep commitment to helping 3D digital artists further advance creativity and control.

"MAXON has spent the last 20 years developing some of the industry’s most advanced 3D software technologies; continually raising the bar for 3D animation software excellence," said MAXON CEO and co-founder Harald Egel. "CINEMA 4D R11 is no exception. This release contains the next-generation features our customers worldwide have come to expect from MAXON."

Among the highlights included in the release is the highly anticipated Projection Man tool. "Projection Man allows our artists to quickly project a painting onto geometry in a scene, simplifying even the most complex setups which can be easily organized within a single Photoshop file," said Sony Pictures Imageworks Texture Lead Dennis Bredow. "The flexibility of the tool and its ease of use allow our painters to focus less on the mechanics of the shot and spend more time creating beautiful imagery."

CINEMA 4D R11 also boasts an all-new Cocoa-based architecture supporting 64-bit processing under Mac OS X Leopard. "We are pleased that MAXON has created the CineMan connection to Pixar’s RenderMan directly from within CINEMA 4D," said Pixar RenderMan Business Director Chris Ford. "Now, MAXON customers can benefit from Pixar’s Academy Award-winning rendering technology featured in Ratatouille, The Incredibles and many others."

"Our customers told us what they needed and we listened," said MAXON USA president and CEO Paul Babb. "This exciting new version is as ideal for the novice as it is for the power user who wants to produce compelling imagery in today’s fast-paced environments."